FM Richard Sutton confirmed his place at the top of the Otago Chess Club with an emphatic 5/5 for first place in the Swiss Standard tournament completed earlier this month.
Sutton's form continues from his excellent performance in the Queenstown Chess Classic in January, where finished tied for 13th place in an enormously strong field and easily took the NZ Senior (over 60) prize. A three-time former NZ champion, Richard has been NZ's strongest senior player for a number of years. Though capable of competing at the highest level, he takes a less active role nowadays – for instance as one of the selectors of the NZ Olympiad team to compete in Turin next month.
Today's game is Richard's picturesque win with White over Cameron Bailey of Australia in the 6th round of the Queenstown Chess Classic, featuring a rare mating attack in a queenless middlegame. Sutton kindly provided the annotations.
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. g3 Bg7 4. Bg2 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. O-O Nbd7 7. Nc3 e5 8. e4 Re8 9. h3 exd4 10. Nxd4 Nc5 11. Re1 a5 12. Rb1 Nfd7 13. Be3 Ne5 14. Bf1 c6
We have reached a position typical of the King's Indian Defence – Classical Fianchetto variation. White's plan is to drive the Black knights back to less active squares, where they will get in the way of Black's other pieces. 15. f4 Ned7 16. Bf2 Nf8 17. Qd2 Nfe6 18. Nc2 Qc7 19. Rbd1 Bf8 20. g4 Qe7 21. Bg2 Nd7 22. Bg3 Ng7
The threat was 23 f5, winning the d-pawn. But Black is preparing a break-out on the King-side, which White should now have anticipated by 23 Bf3 and 24 Kg2. 23. Kh2 h5 24. Bf3 hxg4 25. hxg4 Nf6 26. f5 Nd7 27. Bxd6 Qh4+ 28. Kg2 Bxd6 29. Qxd6 Ne5 30. Rh1 Qg5 31. Qd2 Qxd2+ 32. Rxd2 Nxc4
The scene of battle moves across to the Queenside. But as far as White is concerned, this is mere skirmishing; his objective is to get what pieces he can through the central squares, to attack the Black king. 33. Rd4 b5
An interesting line is 33...Nxb2 34 Ne3 a4 (The threat is 35 Rb1 winning the Knight) 35 Rd2 a3 36 f6 Ne6 37 Kg3 followed by 38 Rdh2 and mate. 34. a4 c5 35. Rd5 b4 36. Nb5 b3 37. Rxc5 Nxb2 38. Ne3 Nxa4 39. Rc7 Ba6 40. Nd5! Nh5
Black must avoid anything like 40... Bxb5 41 Nf6+ Kf8 42 Rh8# and 40... Nxf5 is unattractive because it brings White's bishop into play as well. 41.gxh5 Rec8
41... Bxb5 42 hxg6 Rf8 43 f6 Rae8 44 g7 followed by checkmate on h8. 42. hxg6 Rxc7 43. Nbxc7 Rd8
At this point we have reached the position in this week's diagram. White now uses his remaining forces to deliver checkmate. The full solution is at the bottom, while the moves actually played were... 44. gxf7+ Kxf7 45. Rh7+ Kf8 46. Ne6+ Kg8 47. Nf6#
A wonderful final position.
Sutton in fine form
Problem: White to play and mate in 4.
FM Richard Sutton confirmed his place at the top of the Otago Chess Club with an emphatic 5/5 for first place in the Swiss Standard tournament completed earlier this month.
Sutton's form continues from his excellent performance in the Queenstown Chess Classic in January, where finished tied for 13th place in an enormously strong field and easily took the NZ Senior (over 60) prize. A three-time former NZ champion, Richard has been NZ's strongest senior player for a number of years. Though capable of competing at the highest level, he takes a less active role nowadays – for instance as one of the selectors of the NZ Olympiad team to compete in Turin next month.
Today's game is Richard's picturesque win with White over Cameron Bailey of Australia in the 6th round of the Queenstown Chess Classic, featuring a rare mating attack in a queenless middlegame. Sutton kindly provided the annotations.
1. d4 Nf6
2. c4 g6
3. g3 Bg7
4. Bg2 d6
5. Nf3 O-O
6. O-O Nbd7
7. Nc3 e5
8. e4 Re8
9. h3 exd4
10. Nxd4 Nc5
11. Re1 a5
12. Rb1 Nfd7
13. Be3 Ne5
14. Bf1 c6
We have reached a position typical of the King's Indian Defence – Classical Fianchetto variation. White's plan is to drive the Black knights back to less active squares, where they will get in the way of Black's other pieces.
15. f4 Ned7
16. Bf2 Nf8
17. Qd2 Nfe6
18. Nc2 Qc7
19. Rbd1 Bf8
20. g4 Qe7
21. Bg2 Nd7
22. Bg3 Ng7
The threat was 23 f5, winning the d-pawn. But Black is preparing a break-out on the King-side, which White should now have anticipated by 23 Bf3 and 24 Kg2.
23. Kh2 h5
24. Bf3 hxg4
25. hxg4 Nf6
26. f5 Nd7
27. Bxd6 Qh4+
28. Kg2 Bxd6
29. Qxd6 Ne5
30. Rh1 Qg5
31. Qd2 Qxd2+
32. Rxd2 Nxc4
The scene of battle moves across to the Queenside. But as far as White is concerned, this is mere skirmishing; his objective is to get what pieces he can through the central squares, to attack the Black king.
33. Rd4 b5
An interesting line is 33...Nxb2 34 Ne3 a4 (The threat is 35 Rb1 winning the Knight) 35 Rd2 a3 36 f6 Ne6 37 Kg3 followed by 38 Rdh2 and mate.
34. a4 c5
35. Rd5 b4
36. Nb5 b3
37. Rxc5 Nxb2
38. Ne3 Nxa4
39. Rc7 Ba6
40. Nd5! Nh5
Black must avoid anything like 40... Bxb5 41 Nf6+ Kf8 42 Rh8# and 40... Nxf5 is unattractive because it brings White's bishop into play as well.
41.gxh5 Rec8
41... Bxb5 42 hxg6 Rf8 43 f6 Rae8 44 g7 followed by checkmate on h8.
42. hxg6 Rxc7
43. Nbxc7 Rd8
At this point we have reached the position in this week's diagram. White now uses his remaining forces to deliver checkmate. The full solution is at the bottom, while the moves actually played were...
44. gxf7+ Kxf7
45. Rh7+ Kf8
46. Ne6+ Kg8
47. Nf6#
A wonderful final position.
1-0
Solution: 1 gxf7+ Kxf7 (1... Kf8 2 Ne6+ Kxf7 3 Rh7+ Kg8 4 Nf6#) 2 Rh7+ Kf8 3 Ne6+ Kg8 (3... Ke8 4 Re7#) 4 Nf6#.